Military vets gather for a game night of charades at Robin's home in Butler. Pictured left to right Rita Lane, Loretta Jones, Nicole Steffy, Mary Chitwood, Linda Schehl, Lindsey Cambell.

With Butler County's only house for homeless women veterans up and running, the four inhabitants have wasted no time in making the place their home and decorating it for the holidays.

“Robin's Home is a godsend,” said Loretta Jones-Smith, a 60-year-old veteran and one of four residents of the house. “I say that because there's no place for women veterans. This place is like a home. It is a home. It's a beautiful thing. I love it.”

Jones-Smith said living at Robin's Home not only keeps the women veterans together, but also provides a comfortable environment in which the women are able to talk about issues.

Since officially opening July 1, Robin's Home has housed seven women veterans, according to Mary Chitwood, the organization's founder and executive director. Currently, no Butler County agency provides emergency housing to homeless women veterans and their children.

She said the East Pearl Street house is considered a transition home and aims to help women veterans and their children get off the street and into a stable environment.

From there, the house serves as a jumping off point for permanent housing. It is also the first housing program to offer case management. The effort helps veterans access benefits and resources to help them gain skills for independent living.

This is an excerpt of an article that appeared in Wednesday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.

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